


How Squire Alan Learned the Noble Art of Pranking

by jaythenerdkid



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-11-19
Updated: 2007-11-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 06:13:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1635836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaythenerdkid/pseuds/jaythenerdkid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gary invites Squire Alan along on a midnight adventure, with interesting results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Squire Alan Learned the Noble Art of Pranking

**Author's Note:**

> Um.this is my first Tortall fic in a long, long time, so I hope I've gotten the characterisation right and that the recipient enjoys it!
> 
> Written for bookchan

 

 

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alanna asked for the seventeenth time that evening.

"Don't tell me you're going to back out at the last moment," Gary said with a mischievous grin as they checked for signs of other people in the deserted corridor. "I put you down as a little braver than that. Of course, if you're _scared_..."

"I am not scared!" Alanna protested indignantly, remembering at the last instant to keep her voice down. "I just wanted to be sure you've thought this out, that's all."

"Alan, why would you say such a thing?" Gary said, assuming a hurt expression.

Alanna's expression brightened considerably.

"Of course I haven't thought this out," Gary finished, and Alanna sighed dejectedly.

"If we get caught, you're taking all the blame," she threatened in a whisper as they snuck down the dark corridor on stockinged feet.

"Naturally," Gary assured her quietly.

"Good. I'm not doing extra duties because you needed a lookout."

"Not just a lookout," Gary reminded her. "I needed someone with the Gift, remember?"

"Because apparently, dying someone's hair bright purple just isn't as funny if it's not done magically."

Gary couldn't stifle a soft snigger. "It's not going to come out for _weeks_!" he chortled.

"That's assuming Jon doesn't already know how to reverse the spell," Alanna reminded him. Her heart was racing; she'd only tried this spell once - on a very unimpressed Faithful, who had gone around with sky blue fur for three days afterwards - and was sure she'd get something wrong. _Gary's counting on you_ , she reminded herself as she examined the familiar lock on Jon's door. _You've got to get this one right_.

"Is it locked?" Gary asked in a whisper as Alanna sent her Gift through the keyhole.

"No, and there are no spells on it as far as I can tell," Alanna replied, her voice as quiet as she could make it. "I have to silence the hinges," she whispered hoarsely as she ran her fingers around the door frame, sending tongues of purple fire into the wood. "When I say so, open the door."

Gary positioned his hand on the door knob, his eyes alight with anticipation.

"Right, go," Alanna whispered, and the door swung open soundlessly.

With a muted sigh of relief, Alanna and Gary crept into the room, shutting the door behind them, blinking for a few seconds as their eyes adjusted to the dimmer light. Navigating their way around several chairs and a clothes rack, the two would-be pranksters approached the bed, where Jon lay sleeping peacefully, his pale face illuminated by the moonlight shining through his open window.

Gary and Alanna exchanged a glance, Gary's eyes dancing with excitement and Alanna's wide with something like panic. Gary gave Alanna an encouraging smile, and Alanna swallowed quietly and reached a hand out.

 _Here goes nothing_ , Alanna thought, and concentrating, she began the spell.

Slowly, tongues of purple flame appeared in her outstretched hand, forming a glowing coating over her fingertips and running down her fingers to cover her palms. She concentrated harder and the fire intensified slightly, concentrating itself at the very tips of her fingers.

The glow illuminated the room, casting odd, unearthly shadows on Gary's watching face and lending a curious tint to his brown eyes. He nodded encouragingly, gesturing at Jon's hair, and Alanna lowered her hand slowly, brushing her fingers as lightly as she could over Jon's blue-black curls.

Jon stirred. "S'that you, Alanna?" he mumbled sleepily. "Whassamatter?"

 _Oh, Goddess, no_.

Alanna's heart rate increased dramatically. She forced herself to stay intent on her task. "It's nothing, Jon," she whispered reassuringly. "Go back to sleep."

"M'kay," Jon murmured, already fast asleep again.

Alanna lifted her fingers away from Jon's hair and smiled in relief when she saw that the blue-black locks were now a vivid shade of purple. She looked up, grinning triumphantly, to see Gary studying her intently, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

"I did it!" she mouthed, and Gary seemed to shake himself, offering Alanna a smile in return.

The pair wasted no time exiting the room, ensuring that nobody was passing through before tiptoeing back down the corridor to the library, where they had left their books. Alanna was breathing a little heavily, her heart rate still much faster than usual, both due to adrenaline and to Jon's accidental lapse. She couldn't bring herself to look at Gary; she was sure he was wondering why on earth Jon had called her 'Alanna'.

The library door was still open and their books were exactly where they'd left them. Alanna gathered up her half-completed mathematics problems, forcing herself to keep her gaze low and hoping that Gary wouldn't ask too many questions.

"We got away with it!" Gary said gleefully as he marked his page in his history book with a strip of ribbon. "Oh, Jon is going to be _furious_ tomorrow morning! I can't wait to see everyone's reactions!"

"Don't you think they'll guess it was you?" Alanna asked, still not looking up.

"Oh, they'll suspect, of course," Gary said, still sounding cheerful. "But they'll have no proof. I don't have the Gift, after all."

"That's true," Alanna agreed, more for the point of keeping up the conversation than from any other real desire to speak. _He hasn't said anything so far_ , she thought. _Maybe he'll just let it go_...

"Well, good night, Alan," Gary said as he left the library. "You try and get some sleep, all right?"

"Yeah. Sure. Good night, Gary," Alanna said, resisting the urge to sigh with relief. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, then."

"Bright and early for Etiquette," Gary said in a falsely hearty voice, and they both groaned and rolled their eyes. "Sleep well...Alan."

Something about the way he said her name told Alanna that Gary hadn't forgotten Jon's mumbled slip, but Alanna decided she should at least be grateful that he wasn't pursuing the matter right now. _I'll worry about it tomorrow morning_ , she thought as she picked up her books and followed Gary out of the library.

Despite the prospect of having to deal with Gary's curiosity, Alanna smiled to herself. If nothing else, tomorrow was likely to be a very interesting day.

 


End file.
